#lawrence-hayward — Public Fediverse posts

The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is number 1028 in The List.

As mentioned last SpaceAce Sunday, Felt was Lawrence Hayward’s band prior to Denim. That said, The Splendour of Fear, Felt’s second album, sounds absolutely nothing like Denim. Instead of being chock full of satirical/silly lyrics, this album is primarily instrumental. Instead of being fun pop rock, this album is in the broodier dream/jangle pop category with a foot firmly in the realm of post-punk (indeed, at least a couple of times it made me think of Joy Division). Instead of having a colorful band logo as artwork, the cover of this album features barely edited art taken directly from a poster for Andy Warhol’s film Chelsea Girls. And, instead of the band being short-lived due to Princess Di’s death, Felt went on to put out another eight albums. That said, the band didn’t make it as big as they should’ve, apparently because John Peel didn’t like them (f— that guy).

Thank you, SpaceAce, for adding this album to The List. It’s a gem.

• Songlink: Felt – The Splendour of Fear
• Discogs: Felt – The Splendour of Fear

https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/10/20/spaceace-sunday-felt-the-splendour-of-fear-1984-uk/

#1001OtherAlbums #1980s #AndyWarhol #dreamPop #Felt #janglePop #LawrenceHayward #postpunk #SpaceAceSunday

As we began our in memoriam series with number 1026 in The List, today we look at the next next album SpaceAce submitted to this project, number 1027.

Denim was formed by English singer/songwriter/guitarist Lawrence Hayward, following the break-up of his band Felt (who we’ll meet next SpaceAce Sunday). I had never heard of either band before but, listening to this album, it makes total sense why SpaceAce loved this album, their first. The mix of great pop rock with satirical/not-so-serious lyrics echoes the tone of SpaceAce’s own bands (at least those I’ve heard), and it’s just good fun. My favorite bit on this album is the final track “I’m Against the Eighties”, particularly the background lyrics that cut to the very heart of the problem, i.e., calling out every individual year in the 80s. Listening to that song, I can imagine a sea of 30- and 40-something-year-olds at a Denim concert cheering when their year of birth comes up (or, perhaps, booing).

Denim released only one more studio album and a B-side compilation after this. Apparently what was to be the single on a third studio album to be released in September 1997, “Summer Smash“, was pulled because of Princess Diana’s death, and then the whole album release was cancelled altogether…and that was it for Denim. Not only is that, umm, weird, but on this day (October 11, when I am writing this) in 1997, Elton John’s tribute to Princess Di, “Candle in the Wind 1997”, topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts. That’s sort of a lot of unexpected Princess Di-adjacent content for an album spotlight here, if you ask me. On a better day/timeline we could maybe make some sort of joke about the untimely demise of Denim using Candle in the Wind lyrics, but I’m gonna cut myself off there.

Thanks SpaceAce for this bit of Britpop fun. You are missed, friend.

• Songlink: Denim – Back In Denim
• Discogs: Denim – Back In Denim

https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/10/13/spaceace-sunday-denim-back-in-denim-1992-uk/

#1001OtherAlbums #1990s #Britpop #Denim #glamRock #LawrenceHayward #SpaceAceSunday